"Vampire Vacation"

"Olé!"

Season 1 Episode 2 (episode 2 overall)

Original broadcast date: 13th September 1988

Writer: Peter Richard Reeves
Additional voices: Dr. Von Goosewing/
                             Juan/DonDiego/
                             Svaitoslav: Jimmy Hibbert
                           Bandit/Dmitri: Brian Trueman

Travel location: Spain

Castle transport visual used.



Duckula gets fed up of the rain and decides to move the castle to sunny Spain.

A pretty decent start for Peter Richard Reeves. This is his first credited story for the series and one that introduces the idea of Duckula running into other vampire relatives. This would be used a handful of times again, though only throughout the first season. Reeves is most prevalent in this 1st season and then seems to take a backseat for a while. Also, Jimmy Hibbert is credited as script editor on this entry. Perhaps they were both being groomed to take over from Brian Trueman, who by this stage would have been working flat out on all the other shows. What we get is an environmental knock-around with a different country (in this instance Spain) as a backdrop. The simpler plotline does make it harder to review though. Somehow, the more intricate storylines are easier to analyse.

We open on a rainy Tuesday in Transylvania with Duckula musing over when it will end whilst surrounded by a load of leaks - and not the kind he'd like to eat. Igor swims in on a tidal wave of rainwater and offers Duckula something else wet - a glass of blood, which Duckula mistakes for carrot juice and downs instantly. Naturally this sends him a bit loopy and he uses the buckets of rainwater to wash the taste out just before Nanny comes by. She enters more or less the same way as Igor did, only using the door as a surfboard.

Fed up with all this, Duckula takes up Igor's suggestion to visit Spain, home of sunnier weather and also of his cousin Don Diego, who really likes it hot. In that he likes setting fire to things. We'll meet him later on on the episode, after we're introduced to the first 'official' appearance of Doctor Von Goosewing - he actually cameos in the very first episode, prior to this one. Passing by in his hot air balloon, he hears Igor suffering the torment of a Nanny hug and makes his way to the castle (on foot after bursting his balloon) using the obviously telegraphed secret tunnel. By the time he emerges inside the castle proper, it has already been transported, by the Count, to Spain. Duckula emerges from the magic coffin with a surfboard and goggles, which is why Goosewing doesn't recognise him. To be fair, this is the first time he's ever 'officially' seen Duckula, but he's such a dithering character he often forgets what Duckula looks like anyway!
 
Before the Count can go out to enjoy any sun and warmth, he's got more warmth than he can deal with inside. Someone has set fire to his curtains - anyone who's been paying attention will have an idea who started that. Nanny does the only logical thing and rips out a sink which floods the entire castle (cartoon logic at work) and for the second time that day, they almost surfboard using a door, the front one this time.

"Do you really like-a my boots?"

There follows an awkward (for the main three) scene with a couple of bandits who are trying to enjoy themselves with a haystack fire, which the water wave has just put out. This displeases the bandits. Admittedly, they have a fair point as their bonfire seems more in control and appropriate than whoever set fire to the Count's curtains! Plus points to Jimmy Hibbert as the bigger of the two bandits as he introduces himself with a massively long and complicated name which includes such Spanish-sounding words as 'Habana Banana'!

Several people have remarked that the general feel of the episode seems to be more Mexican than Spanish. I wonder if this was deliberate or an accident. It's mostly noticeable on the bandito characters.

Our main three then get hauled away into some nasty looking cages (seriously, Spanish torture makes...colourful research) but luckily for them, the bandits are in the employ of Diego, who sets them all free. Jimmy again impresses with DD's psycho acting. He comes across as a very paranoid and unbalanced character who deems his chopping up of villagers and setting fires to be little more than harmless pranks. It's a funny scene in a really dark kind of way. However, humorous or not, Duckula will not stand for this brutality. He makes the mistake of saying he'll do anything to stop such barbarism, which prompts Diego to announce that Duckula must now take part in a bullfight. Duckula sees this as the lesser of two evils and stands by his claim, immediately panicking to Nanny the minute Diego leaves. Igor winces at the whole prospect and sets to work on an idea, whilst efficiently ejecting a lost Goosewing down another trap door! They have enough on their plate without his unique brand of shenanigans.

Igor, the consumate Jeeves, come up with a plan, that entails disguising Nanny very crudely as a bull, so Duckula can play fight with her instead. Duckula also sees the fake bullfight as a chance to show off his showbiz talents, so all seems well. This is a cartoon, so it would probably work, were it not for the fact that Igor makes the mistake of unlocking the real bull. The chase begins between Duckula (now dressed in a spiffy matador costume) and El Loco, with Nanny close behind to try and come to the rescue. A chase also goes on between Goosewing - popping up through yet another trap door - and Don Diego. He may be a bumbling idiot, but VG's vampireometer does seem to work. It ID's Diego as a blood-sucker straight off. Then again, I would not be surprised if it does that to everyone.

After a massive three way chase, everyone runs from the bullring and back to the castle, which immediately runs back home. The chase continues out of the castle, through the mountains, past the secret passage from earlier and into the distance as the tale ends.

A jolly episode all round, albeit with an arguably abrupt ending. Animation is lively, consistent and fittingly enough, by the Spanish team. Highlights include Goosewing's introduction and the expressive acting on the Count and the Don when having their conversation in the latter's home.

Dear Nanny and Igor. Please get me loads of matador stuff. Count Duckula.

Music  
 'Flamenco Guitar No.1' (Walter Warren) - Title.
 'Magical Effect (c)' (Paddy Kingsland) is heard when Igor and Nanny get swept in by the tide.
'Call of Spain' (John Leach) Igor and Duckula discussing Spain.
 'Dramatic Sting No. 1' (Paul Ferris) When Goosewing finds the secret tunnel and 'Berlin' (John Leach) when he goes through it. 'Drama Bridge' (Peter Knight) when Don Diego sets fire to the curtains and 'Keystone Chaos' (Ron Aspery) when Duckula tries to extinguish said fire. 'Shadowed' (Peter Francklyn/Robert Gill) - the trio are in cage traps. 'The Cunning Wolf' (Paddy Kingsland) when Don Diego is officially introduced. 'Vamp Til Ready' (Wally Asp - track 88) Dmitri and Sviatoslav. 'Dramatic Sting No. 2' (Paul Ferris) when Igor realises he's unlocked the real bull by mistake. 'Salida' (John Leach) is the fanfare heard. The rest of the track is predominantly Spanish guitar which I can't identify.

Pans and backgrounds

Excuse the cropping on the free-style pans.

I have a reproDUCKtion background of that bottom right one. It came with a mismatched cel from 'All In A Fog.'

Outlandish colours are used for the vampire characters. There's one more humanoid-looking one here too and a couple who seem to have blinked too hard! One also reminds me of  'London After Midnight' (far left)

Salida is Spanish for exit.

A drier shot of the earlier scene closes the episode off.

Trivia 

• Episode does not start with a scream but ends in many.
• Once again, it is Tuesday in Transylvania.
• 1st appearance of the regular newspaper, the Transylvania Morning Sun. 
• Nanny's voice is still in it's more warbly form at this early stage. It kind of evolves a little after the first few episodes. 
• 1st appearance of the library. See 'Igor's Busy Day' for a book breakdown.
• 1st of 4 times  Jack May's character is seen in a rowboat.
• Only time in the series Duckula actually drinks blood, albeit unwittingly. 1963 Yugoslavian RH negative, according to Igor.
• When trying to wash away the taste of the blood, Duckula makes the same wacky quacky noises that he did when he appeared in 'Danger Mouse'.
• The magic coffin appears, but we do not hear Duckula use a rhyme to get it going.
• 1st official appearance of Doctor Von Goosewing. His hot air balloon also makes an appearance. No references to Heinrich.
• Goosewing weapons of choice: stake and hammer, vampirometer and stake gun (which only shoots lasers in this episode).
• Two of Jimmy Hibbert's characters have their initials visible - VG on Goosewing's balloon, DD on Don Diego's pennant. 
• The little bandit is seen smoking a cigar briefly. 
• The big bandit's full name is Juan José Maria Velasquez Campara Ortega Madella Mañana Calamare Instituto Habana Banana Que Paso Su Manos!
• 1st instance of a vampire duck who is not Duckula appearing in the series.
• Both DD and Duckula use the transport ability. DD's is more smokey however, which fits his pyromaniac nature.

  

  Like The Mutinous Penguins, Don Diego also appeared in a set of glitter stickers.

• Neither the Count nor his cousin seem to be affected by the sunlight. Perhaps Spanish vampires have learned to adapt, or draw sun energy what with it being such a hot country by nature.
• Don Diego seems to have an insane female fanbase online. He's alright I suppose, but he's no Rory McDuckula. 
• El Loco is also the name of a Mexican bandit villain from 2 episodes of 'Danger Mouse.'
• Von Goosewing casually addresses Igor as 'Fritz' in the manner of 'hey, Joe/Mac/buddy' etc. This is interesting because many peoples' common perception of the stock 'Igor' character is in fact likely derived from a character called Fritz in 'Frankenstein' (1931). The only thing our Igor here has in common with the stock 'Igor' is the name and subservient position. And the hunchback I suppose. Goosewing uses Fritz as a fake name in 'Dear Diary.'
• Dmitri references the Count directly in his jokes.
• Duckula's age is at least older than 17 and a half. 
• Music lovers beware. Duckula plays his banjo in this episode.
• El Loco and the bullring would re-appear in 'Around The World In A Total Daze.' 
• 1st time Jimmy Hibbert effectively chases himself with the vampire zapper - the next instance being in 'Arctic Circles.'
• Part of the chase between all the characters during the bullfight can be seen in the opening titles of each episode.
• The magic coffin is large enough to house the whole cast as they all run out of it at the end. This could easily just be for comedy value as much as mysticism.
• This episode was adapted into a book by Maureen Spurgeon and released by Carnival in 1988. (see above)
• Diego also appears briefly in the first Count Duckula annual. (see above) as does Duckula in his holiday gear.
• This episode was released on VHS in 1989 along with 'Jungle Duck' and 'Igor's Busy Day.'
  

Goosewing's 'wampirometer' and hot air buffoon, I mean balloon, as appearing in the first annual. I suspect production art is used here.

Goofs and nitpicks 

• The tip of Duckula's cape flickers slightly when he drinks the barrel of water. 
• When the bandit runs and switches sides, so do his bandoliers.
• Duckula's shirt cuffs are coloured like his jacket breifly near the end of the bandit scene.m 
• There are a few instances where Don Diego's eyes are coloured as Duckula's and once in a long shot where his trousers are blue, like his face and hands.

Chase line-up as it appears in the opening titles. I wonder how many viewers wondered who the 2 extra characters were, if they had never caught this episode?

Layout art.